USPTO Patents Application 10764446

P24670.S02

WHAT IS CLAIMED:

1 . A distributor device comprising:

an input device for the input of a product stream;

a preliminary distributor for distributing, measuring out and loosening the
product stream;

a store for receiving the product stream;
an accumulating shaft;

a sifter for separating fractions of the product stream;

a conveying element for transporting the product stream from said store to
said accumulating shaft;

at least one external delivery device for delivery of at least one additional
component, wherein said at least one external delivery device is arranged between
said store and said sifter relative to a transport direction of the product stream.

2. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
distributor device is structured and arranged for loading a continuous cigarette-
making machine.

3. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
accumulating shaft is arranged in front of said sifter relative to said transport
direction.

4. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
accumulating shaft is arranged behind said sifter relative to said transport
direction.

5. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
sifter is structured and arranged to separate fractions of the product stream that are
to be processed and that are not to be processed

6. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
external delivery device delivers the at least one additional component to said
product stream into said distributor device.

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P24670.S02

7. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1 5 wherein said
external delivery device delivers the at least one additional component into the
product stream.

8. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1, further
comprising at least one additional store for receiving the at least one additional
component.

9. The distributor device in accordance with claim 8, further
comprising at least one additional conveying element associated with said at least
one additional store.

10. The distributor device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said store
and said at least one additional store are each associated with separate conveying
elements.

1 1 . The distributor device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said store
and said at least one additional store are arranged in front of said sifter relative to
said transport direction of the product stream.

12. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
sifter comprises a common approach from said delivery device.

13. . The distributor device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said
sifter comprises a common approach from said store and from said at least one
additional store.

14. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1 3 wherein said
sifter comprises at least two approaches.

15. The distributor device in accordance with claim 14, wherein said
approaches are arranged one behind or above the other in the transport direction of
the product stream, wherein said approaches comprise an approach for at least one
additional store located above an approach for said store.

16. The distributor device in accordance with claim 15, wherein a cross-
section d! of said sifter in a region of the upper approach is smaller than a cross-
section d 2 of said sifter in a region of the lower approach.

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P24670.S02

17. The distributor device in accordance with claim 1, further
comprising at least one further external delivery device positioned behind said
sifter relative to said transport direction of the product stream.

18. The distributor device in accordance with claim 17, wherein said at
least one further external delivery device is structured and arranged to deliver at
least one further additive.

19. The distributor device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said at
least one further additive is delivered into the product stream.

20. A method for loading a continuous cigarette-making machine,
comprising:

introducing a product stream into a distributor device through an input
device;

distributing, measuring out and loosening of the product stream via a
preliminary distributor;

storing the product stream in a store;

transporting the product stream via a conveying element from the store to
one of an accumulating shaft and a sifter;

sifting the product stream in the sifter; and

mixing the product stream with at least one further component within the
distributor device after the store relative to a transport direction of the product
stream.

21. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the product
stream is sifted before being fed into the accumulating shaft.

22. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the product
stream is sifted after being fed into the accumulating shaft.

23. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the product
stream is mixed with the at least one further component immediately before
sifting.

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P24670.S02

24. The method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the at least one
further component is stored within the distributor device.

25. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the product
stream is mixed with at least one further component during sifting.

26. The method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the at least one
further component is stored within the distributor device.

27. The method in accordance with claim 20, further comprising
delivering the product stream and the at least one further component to the sifter
via separate approaches.

28. The method in accordance with claim 27, wherein each further
component is conducted into the sifter behind the product stream relative to the
transport direction.

29. The method in accordance with claim 20, further comprising mixing
each further component with the product stream in a region at which the product
stream exits the sifter.

30. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein an air stream
flows within the sifter, and the speed of the air stream within the sifter is higher in
the region at which the product stream exits the' sifter than in a remainder of the
sifter.

31. The method in accordance with claim 27, further comprising
adjusting a degree of sifting by altering positions of the approaches into the sifter.

32. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the product
stream is mixed with the at least one further component, which is delivered to the
sifter via a common approach.

33. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the product
stream and the at least one further component are taken from different stores
within the distributor device.

P24670.S02

34. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein, after sifting, the
process further comprises delivering at least one further additive to the mixture of
the product stream and the at least one further component.

35. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the at least one
further component and the product stream are delivered to an accumulating shaft
via separate approaches, and the product stream and the at least one further
component are mixed in the accumulating shaft.